So last year around this point, I came here to ask you guys what anime show would make a good gift to give my baby brother and sister. You guys (Particularly one kind namefag I've unfortunately forgot the name of) recommended Medabots for my brother and Cardcaptor Sakura for my sister. Both were a hit, (Especially the latter, since everyone in the house has seen every episode and movie by now.)

I'm not sure what is appropriate. It tends to wax a little heavy at times, but the times it isn't, it's pretty darn good

>>17921second on Avatar, it's pretty amazing on all levels as a series.

Princess Tutu... I would have some anime exp. points before watching that, as it's sort of a mid-level anime. But it doesn't have sex or violence, it's just sort of... a subversion of things. Lots of talking too. And the main character is a duck.

Quick research on Anime News Network (via Google) shows that the studio producing Lotte's Toy, Diomedea, mostly does tween and second-key animation for other anime studios. They have worked on some well-known (and respected) anime (Aria, Bokurano, FMA: Brotherhood...) but are apparently trying to come into their own. I wonder what their choice of debut says (if anything) about the current state of the medium (outside ero-anime).

>>17695I guess all the socially withdrawn, MMORPGing 14 year olds who watched this were like "This... THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LYFE!"

But seriously, even if it was aimed at a younger demographic, it still seems like a shitty show... I really dislike SPOILER how they went though the trouble of setting up the plot, then skipped the first 30 something floors, then did a bit of the middle floors, and then just didn't even finish their own setup.

There wasn't really any character development. The main character didn't change, the world around him changed. The heroine was pretty two dimensional. They didn't bring anything to the story, it felt like she was there just so the main character wasn't akward.

Based off of the novel I presume. I haven't actually read the book, or watched the movie or the play. However, it has a feel of a Disney classic (albeit, much longer, its about 50 episodes).

The characters aren't incredibly deep on their own, but their interactions with each other is what makes it what great. It reminds me of baccano in that sense.

Summary: A mother and daughter, Fantine and Cosette, have left Paris and are travelling the french countryside as the mother looks for work. A sly inkeeper swindles Fantine into leaving her daughter in the care of him and his wife, in exchange for pay. The story then unfolds into the struggles and interactions of a large cast of characters in a poverty stricken France.

I haven't finished watching it myself, but I am in the process of marathoning it. I've been hooked since the first episode, and it will probably end up in my top 10.